The future of Britain outside the EU ....

[DimPrawn]

Not too clear what this special relationship ever gave us anyway. No support over the Falklands. BP bashing from Obummer. The US serves itself and our value only seems to be being stupid enough to spend fortunes backing their idiotic military ventures. Going back, it was the US that scuppered Suez. We had to repay all our WW2 loans, unlike Germany.

Can't say I have researched it so if anyone does know what we have ever got from it please feel free to inform me.

Add in the one way extradition process to that list.

USA =

[vetran]

The special relationship is like ours with was the Irish / Scottish, when they need cannon fodder for a petrochemical war then they call on the 51st state battalion.

[sasguru]

Can't say I have researched it so if anyone does know what we have ever got from it please feel free to inform me.

We could swagger round the playground saying "See my mate, he's massive, and I'll get him to beat you up if you don't give me your lunch money"?

[Mich the Tester]

Add in the one way extradition process to that list.

USA =

Yes they're *******, but they're ******* with nuclear weapons, a huge well equipped army, still the world's biggest economy and they're not such horrendous ******* as Mr Putin and his chums. It's worth listening to them for now.

[cojak]

Our politicians need to understand that we are nothing special these days, if only to stop them from promising more military forces and government aid than we can afford.

We are no more special than Sweden or the Netherlands and we delude ourselves if we think otherwise.

[tomtomagain]

Yes but do we really need all those tunnels? And to France of all places?

Probably not. We could spend it all on thatched-roofs in an attempt to lure more Chinese and American tourists here.

Or more controversially have a tax cut instead.

[Mich the Tester]

Our politicians need to understand that we are nothing special these days, if only to stop them from promising more military forces and government aid than we can afford.

We are no more special than Sweden or the Netherlands and we delude ourselves if we think otherwise.

[sasguru]

Our politicians need to understand that we are nothing special these days, if only to stop them from promising more military forces and government aid than we can afford.

We are no more special than Sweden or the Netherlands and we delude ourselves if we think otherwise.

They do understand it deep down, but the ego-driven power maniacs cannot stop wanting a big role in world affairs. Look at that marginally mentally-ill delusional twat Tony Blair - a mediocrity who unfortunately had very good communication skills and thought he was re-ordering the world in 2003.

[Mich the Tester]

...I'm will to concede that economically it may make little difference

I disagree. I think if Britain leaves the EU it wil have a massive destructive economic influence on the UK. Here's why; the EU right now is a crock of tulip. It's a mess. The Germans realise that, but right now they're too busy with damage limitation and problem containment to do anything about it. The French realise it too, but won't say it publicly because they need the relationshp with Germany. The Dutch, Danish, Irish, Austrians, Fins and Swedes are prepared to debate the problems openly and do. All of them actually see that it's unsustainable as it is now, and it's really only a few doddering old fools still talking about federalism and ever closer union. When it falls to bits, the Germans and possibly the French will get together with all those others and build an alliance that gives them exactly what they want, and which actually gives a bit more freedom to reasonably solvent member states to choose their own regulations and rules. They will then go on a massive offensive to attract businesses to leave the UK and and set up in their new European enormous market. The French have already said so; if Britain leaves the EU they will ' roll out the red carpet for businesses from Britain'. The real choice for Britain is not in or out of a failed 20th century institution; it's whether to have any influence at all in the 21st century institution that will replace it.

[cojak]

I've read somewhere that the Germans are 'very keen' for the UK to stay in the EU to lead the reformation of the system.

The Germans seem to think that we are the only ones not hide-bound to the institutions and can see the wood for the trees.

We've also turned around massive systems in a way that other Governments have not managed.